Jim Lange dies of heart attack at 81

Former Dating Game host Jim Lange has died at his home in Mill Valley, California, at the age of 81.

Jim Lange died Tuesday morning after suffering a heart attack, his wife Nancy told The Associated Press Wednesday.

He had a successful career in radio, but he is best known for his television role on ABC’s The Dating Game, which debuted in 1965 and on which he appeared for more than a decade, charming audiences with his mellifluous voice and wide, easygoing grin.

Jim Lange also played host to many celebrity guests. Michael Jackson, Steve Martin and Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others, appeared as contestants.

Later, after The Dating Game brought him national recognition, Jim Lange also hosted the game shows Hollywood Connection, $100,000 Name That Tune and The New Newlywed Game.

He also worked as a disc jockey for decades in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, and upon his retirement from broadcasting in 2005, he was the morning DJ for KABL-FM, which specializes in playing classics from the Big Band era to the 1970s.

Jim Lange is survived by his wife, a sister, five children, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.